Athletic shoe



June 11, 1940. L SHAPIRO 2,203,929

ATHLETIC SHOE Filed Aug. 18, 1937 Patented Jene 11, 1940 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ATHLETIC sHoE "l `Isadore Shapiro, Chicago, `Ill.assignor to The `Athletic Shoe Company, Chicago, Ill., a. corporation `of Illinois Application ugust `18, 1337, Serial No. 159,619

` 112 Claims.

` My invention relatesto athletic shoes and has to do more particularly withshoes of thecleated type, such asare used for outdoor sports, for example, for football, trackfgolf, climbing, etc.

l.` It has beenthe practice `for `many years to reinforce cleated shoes of the type referred to by the insertion of metal plates in the soles in order to prevent the cleats or`cleat-attachn1ents fromv being pushed up into the foot of the wearer, resulting in possible injury to the foot,'and also to prevent distortion of fthe` sole as a result of` stresses applied` by the cleats when thesole is wet and relatively` flexible.` Various attempts have been made to reduce thelweight `and increase the ilexibility of shoes carrying such metal reinforcing plates. l

An object of my invention is to provide a shoe of the type referred to wherein the cleats or traction members are supported by a plurality of metal supporting devices, said supporting' devices being suiciently small and flexible so that the weight of thesole4 is'not `greatly increased by `said devices nor is the iiexibility` thereof greatly reduced. .1

Stillanother object is to provide a shoe. of the type `referred to which will besimple and inexpensive in construction, rugged,`and entirely satisfactory forthe purposes desired. I

My invention will be more clearly understood `from the appended drawing forming a part of certain Fig. 2 isa top plan view of the` sole with parts cutaway to illustrate `the cleat supporting de vices;` .i n i w Fig. 3 is a sectional view Itaken substantially along the line 3 3 of Fig. `l;

regni is a view similiar to Fig; 3 but illustrating "a diierent type of cleat;` u v H Fig. 5 is a` view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a diierent embodiment of` invention, and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to` Fig.` 3showing still another embodiment` of my invention.

The shoe comprises an upper Ill and asoleIZ `to which is Secured a sole tap I3, as by stitching I4. An insole I5 may also be provided in ac,- `cordance with the usual shoe construction.

In Figs. 1 3, I have shown spikes I8 such as are used in track shoes, `and in accordance with the usual track shoe construction no heel tap is provided. The spikes I8 are provided with enlarged heads I9.

Secured to the sole in any suitable manner, and preferably interposed between the sole member I2 and the tapfl3,are cleat supporting de- `vices comprising channel shaped members 2l and plates 23..\As seen best in Fig.' 3, theplates 23 5A are enclosed within the channel members 2l and `are`snugly embraced by legs 22 thereof so as to be rmly secured, the heads I9 of the spikes or `cleats being secured `between the plate 23 and the channel 2 I, the spike extending through the lower `1l) `Wall of the channel. The channel members may :be' made of any suitable stock having adequate strength, preferably metal, while the plates 23 are preferably of light weightspring steel.

As seen best in Fig. 2, I may usea single spring l5 plate 23 to reinforce a plurality of cleats while preferably using a single channel member 2| for' each ,cleatfexcept at the to'e of the shoe; It will be understood that the arrangement shown may be variedfso long as my object isfattained, namely, that ofproviding adequate support for the cleats whilegreatly reducing the amount of metal normally carried by the sole in shoes of this `type and while avoiding la serious reduction of exibility. lIt will be seen that in the arrange- 25 ment of Fig.` 2 the plates 23 which run longi- `tudinally of the shoe` are able to flex. freely between the individual channel members 2l and thus the sole `has a high `degree of"` flexibility. However, the twofcleats provided in the toe of E,30

the shoe may be supported by a single Vchannel `2| as well as asingle plate 23 inasmuch as there is practically no transverse flexing at this point. However, adequate flexibility is provided adjacent Ithe ball of the foot where required.

Fig. iillustratesf a different arrangement of the supporting elements for a shoe having cleats positioned substantially` thesame as inFigs. l and 2. It will be seen that in the embodiment of Fig. 5 the cleats are supported in pairs lby chan- ,40 -nels 2|' extending'transversely of the shoe, a single channel being used for each pair of cleats and'likewise a single plate 23. By this `arrange- `ment also the cleats are given adequate support while at the same time'the shoe is free to flex 45 between eachof the channels, inasmuch as no vstiffening elementsare provided in the spaces between the channels.'` y 1 I f Fig. 4 illustrates the application `of `my invenn tion to a football shoe having the usual fruston 50 conical molded detachable cleat 33. This cleat ,may,` in accordance with one construction, be provided with an embedded nut 32 whereby it is secured to a threaded stud 33 having an enlarged head 35. The head 35 is arranged between the 55 that the spring plate 23 and channel member 2l are substantially identical with the corresponding partsdescribed above. A washer`3 is preferably provided adjacent the outside of the sole tap I3 and-the stud is clamped vto the, washer and solegby being spun over as at 33. This type of cleat attachment is more fully described and claimed in my Patent No. 2,098,468, dated Novemf ber 9, 1937.

Fig. 6 shows another embodiment of my invention as adapted to a cleat Ml of molded frustoconical design having a threaded ,stud y4l attached thereto, the head 42 of said stud vbeingv molded in the cleat lill.y In order to attach a cleat of this form to a shoe in accordance with my rinvention, I provide a channel member 2l embracing a plate 23, said channel and plate being substantially lsimilar to the like numbered devices shown in the other figures, except that the channel has an vintegral cylindrical neck portion S56 punched therefrom. Such a neck may, of course, be provided in the lother embodiments. Seated Ywithin the channel member 2l Jbelow the plate 23 is a threaded nut or bushing 45 into which is screwed the stud di.` The bushing has a squared head 4l gripped by the channel member 2|, whereby the bushing is prevented `from rotating.

It will be understood that this type of fcleatand attachment may be secured to a shoe according to any of the arrangements shown in Figs. 2 fand 5, or in other suitable arrangements.

My present invention may be applied to various other `types of cleats and to other kindsv of cleat attaching devices. v

Numerous other variations and modifications of myinvention may suggest themselves tothose skilled in .the art, and hence I dornot'wish to be limited to the specific embodiments shown and described or luses mentioned except to the 'extent indicated in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted 4as broadly as the state of the art will permit. l

thereof and means `separate from said ycleat `and plate clamping ktogether the 4cleat and plate.

2. In a shoe, a cleat comprising a headed portion, and means for securing said cleat comprising a ysubstantially flat member carried by the sole and a plate retained by said member, said head being vclamped between said plate vand said member.

3. In a shoe having a vplurality of cleats each provided with a headed portion, means for attaching a plurality of said cleatsto the sole comprising a web likey member having a width approximately equal yto that of a cleat and a resilient member embraced by said web, said resilient member having a ylength equal approximately to the space on the sole cov-ered by a plurality of cleats less than the whole number thereof plus the space therebetween, said head being clamped between said resilient member and :said web.

4. In a shoe, a cleat having a flat headed member, and means for securing said cleat comprising a web like member embedded in the sole, a

plate retained by said web, said head being disposed between said plate and said web.y

5. In a shoe, a cleat having a threaded extension thereon, and means for securing said cleat comprising a web `like member embedded in the` f sole, a plate retained by said web, and means 7. A cleat attachment for a shoe comprising a at -plate and a channel shaped plate having wingsv extending around the edges of said rst n mentioned plate so as to prevent movement of the latter away from said channel shaped-plate,

one of said plates being perforated, and a cleat having a neck portion extending through said aperture and a head portion disposed between vsaid plates.

8. In a shoe, a cleat `attachment as defined in claim 7, wherein said flat plate is resilient and cooperates with a plurality of cleats and wherein there is provided a plurality of Vchannel shaped plates as defined -in claim 7, a plurality of such attachments being provided 'and the portions of the shoe sole between such attachments being substantially free to flex. I

9. A cleat attachment disposable in a shoe sole comprisinga plurality of individual cleats, an elongated, relatively narrow plate for preventing upward movement of said cleats,` and a channel- :a

like member engaging the edge and upper por- Vtion of said plate and having apertures therein disposed substantially yin a straight line, said cleats having neck portions extending through said apertures and head portions disposed lbes,

neath said plate.

10. A cleat attachment disposable in a shoe sole comprising a plurali-ty of individual cleats, an elongated, relatively narrow plate for'preventing upward movement of said cleats, and a -channel-like member engaging the edge and upper portion of said plate and having apertures therein disposed substantially in a straight line, said cleats `having neck portions extending through said apertures and terminating below said plate.

l1. In a.y shoe, a cleat attachment as defined in `claim 7 wherein said 'flat plate cooperates lwith a plurality of cleats and whereinvthere is provided a plurality of channel-shaped plates as defined in claim 7, a plurality of` such attachments f c 

